Truck construction.



R. MCKE'EN, Jn. TRUCK CONSTRUCTION. APPucATloN man Mlm/18,1909.

Patented July 25, 1916.

WITNESSES Arion/vers WILLIAM-RILEY .'LVIGKEEN, JR., OF OMAIIANEBRASKA, y.ASSIGrNOR TO MGKEEN MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TRUCK CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

To all whom t may concern: f

Be it known that l, WiLLrAM R. Molinari, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Truck Construction, of which the following is a full, clear," and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to truck construction.

One of the objects thereof is to provide a strong, rigid truck characterized by simple construction and an economical use of metal.

Another object is to providea practical truck of the above type peculiarly adapted to support a driving motor under all conditions of use. y

Other objects will be inpart obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and `arrangement of parts which will be exemplied in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the fapf plication of which will be indicated in the following claims.

ln the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of this invention, Figurel is a side eleva` tion thereof; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3p is a detailed sectional view taken' substan-` tially along the line m-m, Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views ofthe drawing. f

As conducive to a clearer understanding of certain features of this inventiomit may here `be noted that a railway truck, and particularly a railway motor truck, is exposed to the severest use.' It is not only subjected to theconstant jarring and vibration, due to running over `the' track,y ina much severer degree than the car body, which is cushioned by additional springs, but"is conned to comparativelysmalldimensions and is subjectedv tolieavy `,loads aside from its own weight; and its ability to bear up under these conditions, is of vital importance.Y Accordingly,- the construction of apparatus of this nature must not only `be compact,.but must be strong and stiff to a highdegree.

' Inmeeting these conditions there isa tend-` ency to a heavytype of construction with aorrespondingly large cost and materially increased weight of car, and much of this metal 1s practically idle in the use of the truck.

n One of the dominant aims of this inven tion is to so form and dispose the portions of a truck with respect to the various stresses which it is to encounter, that all metal is utilized to its full value, with a proper factor of safety, at every stage in the practical use-of a truck. Thisand other objects are achieved in constructions of the nature of that hereinafter described. f

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, there is shown a truck side-bar l cast integrally with the pedestals 2 and 3. Within these pedestals are positioned the aXle-boXes o f wheels 4 and 5, the latter being of'larger diameter and adapted to serve as drivers. As above noted, this entire side of the truck is formed integrally, and is of flanged construction, the portions between the flanges beingY in general filled in by web s, as indicated upon the drawing. n Side-bar 1 is' provided with an upper flange 6 and a lower flange 7, and is of varying depth, the lower angev 7 following a curved line to provide a maximum depth substantially at 8. llhis flange 7 also tapers horizontally, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, being extended both inwardly and outwardly with 'respect to the upper flange 6. The inwardly extending portion 9 is preferably somewhat greater' than ythe outwardly extendingportion 10, in order to enhance the compactness of the truck as a whole, and a maximum widthof flange 7, as well: as depth of theside-bar, is provided substantially at 8. Vertical webs 1l are disposed between flanges 6 and 7, as indicated in the drawing, and the ends of the sidebar terminate inpoclrets 12 and 13 respec-y tions20 and 21. Portions 18 and 2Oareconnected Yas at 22, and portions 19 and 21 join the end of the side-bar 1. An upper transverse member 23 connects the upper ends of these several portions and is so formed as to provide a shoulder 24 against which an inclined strut or brace 25 is rested. This brace is bolted in position upon the portion 21 at its upper end, and at its lower end interlocks with a shoulder upon an integral casting 26 and is bolted thereto. Casting 26 serves as an engine or motor support and is provided with horizontal and vertical ianges 27 as shown, fitting about the sidemounted thereon, -issupported by a mem-4 ber peculiarly adapted to bear and transmit this weight. The side-bar not only Vpresents tained with a minimum use of metal.

a maximum depth adjacent this point, but the lower flange thereof presents a maXimum width, and thus eXtreme stiffness isT e upper flange,` whichV is subjected in use largely to compressive stresses, is well adapted to resist the same, and the lower portion of the side-bar is peculiarly tted to stand its tensile stress, which with a given quality of steel is more severe than stress of compressive character. Moreover, the tendency of the pedestals to rock inwardly toward the upper surface of theside-bar is Vwell met by the supporting portions 17 and 2l, and in the case of the pedestal 3 additional support is given by the strut 25 actingas a compression member.

It will be observed that the top chord or flange of my side bars presents a continuous unbroken surface without bend or deflection horizontally or vertically, and that the vertical web of each Vside bar lies directly beneath said top flange, and is likewise in one continuous vertical plane without break or v webs of the side bars.

deliection, hence is best adapted to receive and carry stresses of all kinds and in all directions. It will also beseen that the motor support or base rests upon the top flanges, and has vertical webs or anges which are riveted or otherwise secured to the vertical It will therefore be seen that instead of weakening the side bars by making seats or depressions therein, or

" deflections tliereofto receive thel cross connections, I preserveintact the full strength 4of the side bar, and give it its greatest measurements directly beneath the motor support, which adds to the strength of the side bars by Vreason of its own depth, and most effectively braces the same by reason of its rectangular and trough or box-like form, and the manner of connecting its ends with the side bars. This is of great importance in a motoresupporting truck, and particularly where, as is contemplated in the present instance, a motor of considerable `weight and power is used, andthe power cylinders are arranged. vertically. Additional cross connectionsmay, of course, be employed. By this construction themotor support is caused to serve a double function, that is to say, it acts as a motor support and as a means of connecting and directly bracing the side bars of the` truck, without in any manner necessitating or involving delection, recessing, or other weakening of the side bars, or either of them. It is to be understood that both sides of the truck are identical, one only` being set forth in order to avoid-a useless encumbrance of the description and drawing. It will thus be seen that there is provided a construction in which the aims of this invention Vare achieved and thek above and other advantages attained.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of generic and specific features of the invention herein de` scribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of lanf guage, might be said to fall therebetween.

I-Iaving described my invention, what yI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In truck construction, incombination,

a pair of side bars each having a pedestal at one end thereof extending upwardly above the body of said side bars; a motor support connecting ythe side bars and restingthere on; and an inclined brace extending downward from the upper part of each of said pedestals to the motor support, and secured at its ends to saidpedestals and motor support, respectively. f

2. In truck construction, a pedestal comprising four spaced, upright portions, means connecting the lower ends of said portions in pairs, and means connecting together the upper ends of said four portions.

3. In truck construction, a pedestal comprising four spaced upright portions, means connecting the lower` endsV of said portions in pairs, and means connecting together the upper ends of said four portions, said portions and said connecting means being of anked construction.

4. In truck construction, in combination, a side-bar, a pair of spaced, upright portions one of which is connected with said side-bar, means connecting said upright portions and projecting at one end over said side-bar, and means connecting said projecting end with said side-bar.

5. In truck construction, in combination, a side-bar, a pair of spaced, upright portions one of which is connected with said side-bar, means connecting said upright portions and projecting at one end over said side-bar, means connecting said projecting end withsaid side-bar, andan inclined brace extending rfrom said projecting end to said side-bar.

6. In truck construction, in combination, a side-bar, a pair of spaced, upright portions one of which is connected with said` side-bar, means connecting" said upright portions and projecting at one end over said side-bar, and an inclined brace connecting said projecting end with said side-bar.

7. In truclr construction, in combination, a side-bar, a pair of spaced, upright portions one of which is connected with said side-bar, means connecting said upright portions and projecting at both ends, means connecting one of said projecting ends with said side-bar, and means connecting the other of said projecting ends with one of said upright portions.

8. In truck construction, incombinatiom a side bar, pedestals at each end thereof,v

wheels mounted adjacent said pedestals, a brace extending downwardly from the top of one pedestal toward the center'of said y side bar, and a source of power mounted on said side bar adjacent said brace, said side bar being of increased width and depth beneath said source. of power.

9. In truck construction, in combination,

a side-bar, a source of power mounted thereon, said side-bar being of increased depth beneath said source of power, a pair of spaced, upright portions one of which is connected with said side-bar, means connecting said upright portions and projecting at one end over said side-bar, and means connecting said projecting end with said sidebar adjacent said source of power.

10. In truck construction, in combination, a side-bar, a source of power mounted thereon, said side-bar being of increased depth beneath said source of power, a pair of spaced, upright portions one of which is connected with said side-bar, means connecting said upright portions and projecting at one end over said side-bar, and an inclined brace interposed between said projecting end and said side-bar adjacent said source of power.

11. In truck construction, in combination, a side-bar, an engine bed mounted thereon, a pedestal, and an inclined brace interposed between said bed and said pedestal.

l2. In truck construction, in combination, a side-bar, a pedestal, and an inclined brace interposed between said pedestal and said side-bar, said side-bar being of increased depth beneath the end of said brace.

13. In truck construction, in combination, a side bar having upper and lower iianges, and upright flanges interposed therebetween, said side-bar being tapered toward j Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

